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(Anthony) Symbol
Author: Beck
Date: 06-27-20 14:18
There was a sudden commotion at the entrance to Auror Headquarters. Anthony looked up from the case file he was reviewing and observed some of his colleagues escorting in several individuals, all of whom looked worse for wear to varying degrees. From the chatter that followed, he understood that some sort of skirmish had occurred at one of the pubs in Knockturn Alley.
"Bit early for a bar fight, don't you think?" Quentin Arnold said, after watching the last of the procession enter the area where the Ministry holding cells were located.
Anthony offered a small smile and commented, "It's five o'clock somewhere."
Quentin chuckled and returned to his own work.
Anthony started to go back to his but looked up again at the sound of his name. Geoffrey Blackwell walked towards him, stopped at his desk and asked, "Can you come with me?"
Even though he didn't know where they were going or why, Anthony nodded and got up. "Sure."
Geoffrey led them to the lifts, which they rode to Level 6. The only time Anthony ever went to that floor was if one of his cases involved a freshly dead body.
"A wizard involved in the incident at The Hanged Man was killed by one of the men we brought in just now."
"Oh? How did the altercation start?" Anthony asked.
"The deceased is believed to be Australian and quite possibly affiliated with the dark faction led by Kilgore. Evidently he boasted about how much superior and effective his dark lord is to theirs, which did not go over well with the day drinking crowd. A duel followed and the Australian ended up dead."
"Seems a bit foolish entering a British pub frequented by dark wizards and belittling their leader," commented Anthony.
"He was completely inebriated," said a new voice.
Gillian worked as a forensic healer for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She often went out to crime scenes, but she also spent a lot of time in the Department of Health and Social Services where the morgue happened to be located.
"His blood alcohol level is off the charts," she added. "Hi, Geoffrey. Hi, Anthony… Happy Birthday! I'd hug you, but…". She held up two gloved hands, one of which held her wand.
Geoffrey turned to Anthony and grinned. "I didn't know it was your birthday today."
"That's because I didn't tell anyone," Anthony replied with a sheepish grin. He turned back to his half-sister, who was standing over a body on a slab. The body was a burly man with long, brown hair and stubble. His bare chest was slightly hairy and a sheet covered his lower half. "Cause of death?"
"Killing Curse," Gillian said, "but that's not why I requested you come." She flicked her wand at the body, causing it to turn over enough to reveal a tattoo on the left shoulder blade.
"A spider?" Anthony asked. The spider tattoo was black with a red stripe on its back.
"It's a redback," Gillian explained. "We have them in New Zealand and they're really poisonous."
Geoffrey took a small notebook and short quill out of his pocket and quickly sketched the tattoo. When he finished, Gillian lowered the body back onto the slab.
"If they're in New Zealand, then they could also be in Australia," Geoffrey remarked. He turned to Anthony. "Find out, and I'll look up if it's a known symbol. It may just be a tattoo…"
"But it could be the symbol of Kilgore's followers," Anthony finished.
(Tessa) First Day of Finals
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 06-28-20 09:19
Tessa and Brom parted ways with Blakeney after lunch. Blakeney didn't have any more finals remaining and rather than do the responsible thing and prep for her remaining exams, she wanted to take a nice long nap. Tessa, however, had Care of Magical Creatures after lunch, and Brom, being the dutiful boyfriend who had earned his freedom after a long two weeks of NEWTs, gladly escorted her to the stables.
Fortunately, the heavy clouds that had blanketed the morning sun had parted just in time for their walk across the Hogwarts grounds. It still wasn't exactly a pretty day, but it was a huge improvement from earlier.
"If you were me, what would you do?" Brom asked. Now that he was practically a Hogwarts graduate, he had a big decision ahead of him. He could go to St. Emrys like many of his classmates, or he could go directly into the workforce. He had great difficulty deciding and was taking this week of no exams to mull over all his options.
"Well, if you're not certain about continuing with schooling, you can always get a job or start a real career if such a thing is a possibility for you, and then you can always go back to school later," Tessa said.
"That thought did occur to me," Brom admitted. Being a true Ravenclaw, he had made a list of pros and cons for every possibility.
"A part of me wants to help my uncle in Dublin," Brom said. "I know it would be nepotism, getting a start with him, but I don't see why I shouldn't take advantage of the opportunity if he'll have me."
"So, why don't you work at the pub over the summer, see how you like it, and go from there? Term doesn't start until October, assuming of course those protesters don't shut the whole place down."
Brom made a face. "I can't see that happening, but that's a small reason why I want to help my uncle. I'm worried about him and the business."
Tessa frowned. "I don't want to have to worry about you."
Brom offered her a small smile. "It'll be all right."
By now, they had reached the stables. Professor Kent stood outside the doors with a bundle of parchments in his arms. He handed one to each student as they entered.
Tessa turned to Brom and kissed him, which earned some "Ooooohs" from the classmates who witnessed it. "Wish me luck," she said.
"Good luck," Brom replied. He turned and started to walk back towards the castle, while Tessa went up to Professor Kent, accepted an exam, and entered the barn.
A Bite At Home
Author: Plum
Date: 06-29-20 19:08
"Thank you, Mrs. Lancaster. We appreciate you stepping in on such short notice."
"Happy to help. Contact me at DLS if you need me again."
Plum walks with Jamison Erics, the Ministry's translator asking him before they part ways, "Will you be at the conference next week?"
Jamison nods, "That's the plan. I hope the weather's awful or else I'll be tempted to skip a few sessions to get in some beach time."
The one day conference in question is in Brighton so Plum can understand his sentiment. She laughs, "I may have to wear a bathing suit under my robes. See you there."
Plum makes her way to the Auror Division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, hoping she'll catch Anthony, if not at his desk then somewhere nearby. She's in luck, finding him bent over his desk writing a report.
"Treat you to lunch, handsome?"
Startled, he looks up, pen paused mid-sentence. He grins, setting the quill aside. "This is a nice surprise. Lunch would be great. Let me finish this. Won't be a minute."
Plum takes a seat to wait but true to his word, in less than am minute Anthony is placing the report in his outbox. He comes around his desk, offering his arm to Plum while also giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "What sounds good?" she asks.
"Hmmm. How about Thai?"
"Works for me."
Heading for the nearest bank of lifts Plum explains why she is at the Ministry. "Ruta was to be the independent translator for someone on a legal issue but she got up this morning with laryngitis and none of the potions she took had worked by the time she was scheduled to be here. I got tapped for the work instead."
"What? You're not here because you can't stay away from my irresistible body?"
"I thought that went without saying," Plum chuckles. She turns faux serious. "I thought that after last night and this morning you might be tired of spending time with me for a bit."
Anthony's the one chuckling now. "Oh, no. I very much loved my birthday present."
Each of the available lifts is occupied by a number of people so Anthony and Plum go quiet on the ride to the Atrium but once they've exited the conveyance and are walking towards the Floos, Anthony says in a low voice, "I liked my present so much I was hoping there's a second one to unwrap."
Anthony's family birthday dinner is on Sunday when Alex is home from Hogwarts so last night, the children with some of the relatives, Plum had surprised Anthony with an intimate dinner and cozy hotel room. She'd even worn a ribbon he could "unwrap." Now, she smiles coyly at him. "That can be arranged. How hungry for Thai are you? We can grab a bite to eat at home instead."
Without hesitation he replies, "A bite at home sounds great!"
Kaycee - Changes Are Coming
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 06-30-20 17:14
Kaycee and Chip sat along the banks of the lake. Both were finished with term for the summer, having completed their OWL and NEWT exams, respectively, only last week. Although they were enjoying each other's company and the fact that they could relax for the remainder of the school year, there was an unspoken concern between them. Chip would soon graduate from Hogwarts, while Kaycee would have to return next year.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if Chip were going to St. Emrys or getting a job locally, but he had applied for an apprenticeship at a wand tree farm in the United States. Not only would Chip learn about the different types of wand woods, but he would also learn how to carve wands. It was a career path Kaycee never saw coming for him, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt it suited him.
She simply wasn't sure their relationship could survive not only the change but the distance. Although Kaycee tried not to think about the inevitable, she reminded herself over and over again that she was young still and there would be other boys.
"It's almost dinner time. Should we go up to the castle?" Chip asked.
The sun was setting, but it would be a while yet before it got dark. Kaycee didn't answer right away, wondering if she had just lost her appetite from worrying about the end of her relationship with Chip, but when he nudged her gently, she turned to him with a small smile and said, "Sure."
They walked hand in hand to the castle. Rather than head straight into the Great Hall, they both went down to the cellar to wash up in their respective bathrooms. Kaycee was ready before Chip but he wasn't long to meet her in the Common Room. They headed upstairs again and had just reached the landing to the Entrance Hall, when Kaycee spotted her cousin with the school librarian.
They were standing close together, both smiling and laughing, and then Ms. Bramble playfully swatted Lee on the arm before heading into the Great Hall. He didn't follow, and instead turned to head out onto the Hogwarts grounds.
"If I didn't know any better, I would say your cousin and Ms. Bramble were flirting just now," Chip remarked.
"You took the words right out of my mouth, but I think they really were flirting," Kaycee replied.
She was half-tempted to follow Lee, but Chip's gentle tug on her hand turned her in the direction of the Great Hall. They went inside and sat down together at the Hufflepuff table. She'd just have to get to the bottom of this interesting development later!
Going To Pass Out From Hunger (CJ)
Author: Saffron
Date: 07-01-20 19:31
CJ slams shut his Herbology textbook. "Do you think they're serving yet?"
Joe looks up from his History of Magic. "Yeah, probably."
CJ and Alex reach for the last oatmeal molasses biscuit on the plate, CJ getting it first then breaking it in half. With one hand he offers the other half to Alex. With the other he shoves the half biscuit into his mouth, already on his feet. "I'm going to pass out from hunger if we can't eat yet," he says while trying not to spew cookie crumbs.
Rising from the next table Emmie rolls her eyes at him. "How can you be that hungry? You've been snacking since breakfast."
"Studying takes a lot of energy," he shrugs.
She laughs, "If you're eating this much for regular end of term exams, I can just imagine what you'll be like when we're sitting OWLs."
Joe snorts, "Nah. We'll be older with bigger appetites. He'll be worse."
CJ wistfully sighs, "If only I had relatives who own a restaurant."
"Even they have their limits," a grinning Joe snorts again.
CJ, Joe, Alex, and Emmie, along with Dolly and Becky who'd been sitting at the same table as Emmie, walk from the commons together. CJ doesn't know about the others but he's happy to be more than halfway through exams with only three left to write. None of the girls don't take Fitness & Athletics so they only have two, both of which are tomorrow.
As they walk Becky asks CJ, "Didn't I hear you mention your sister got engaged?"
"Yeah, at the end of April. Someone called Hunter Green. One of his sisters is married to Joe's cousin Phin and another is married to Coach Krum's brother-in-law."
"When are they getting married?"
"Dunno. Probably next year sometime. Christmas hols at the soonest I guess."
Becky seems disappointed CJ doesn't have massive details. "What is it with girls and weddings?"
"They're so romantic and lovely and the wedding robes can be gorgeous," Becky gushes.
"Or fantastically awful," Dolly states.
The girls exchange looks then start giggling. Lost and confused as to what's so funny, Alex, Joe, and CJ exchange their own looks, Joe twirling a finger near his forehead. Silently agreeing with his assessment of the girls, CJ and Alex grin at him before the boys too are laughing, leaving the girls lost this time as to why.
(Octavia) Need A Bigger Throw
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 07-03-20 20:13
"Mind if I join you?"
Without opening her eyes Octavia recognizes Cassie Flefferfore's voice. She scootches over some on the throw she's spread on the ground to enjoy the sun and pats the space beside her. "Sure."
Feeling Cassie settling beside her she asks, "You don't take Fitness & Athletics, do you?"
"No, but I've thought about it sometimes."
"Me too, but right now I'm glad I don't take it. There'd be another exam to take if I did."
"I know what you mean. Doing anything for summer?"
"Other than having to visit my dad, nothing much. Hope to get to go to Emrys Fest."
"Sounds like you don't want to visit him."
As Cassie is prone beside Octavia and like Octavia now has her eyes closed she doesn't see Octavia shrug but if it's possible to hear a shrug in a voice, it's in Octavia's when she replies, "It's not that I don't like him or anything like that but but well, when we're there he hardly has time for us. He makes a big deal about not seeing us and he had a fit when we moved but when we lived near him and when we are actually staying at his house, he's always too busy and gets mad a lot and yells at us for every little thing."
"I guess I wouldn't want to visit either. You have a brother and a sister, right? I have a half-brother on one side and a half-sister on the other."
"Yeah. They're twins. They'll go here in September unless either one of the caves to Dad pressuring to go where he went and Mum lets them go."
"Where's that?"
"Sydney's."
"Is that where you lived before you moved? Australia I mean."
"Yeah. England when we were little but mostly in Australia, most of the time in a place called Rose Bay. It's not all that far from the city of Sydney."
"That's why you talk different."
"Huh?"
"You sound more like Professor Ravenscroft than you do Scottish or Welsh or different places in England or even Irish."
"So?"
"She's from Australia, or that's what someone told me anyway. I forget who said it."
Before Octavia can say anything to that another voice says, "Can I join you?"
"Sure," she says, "but I don't think we'll all fit on this throw. Either of you know the spell to make it bigger?"
(Gareth) At Breakfast
Author: Gerry
Date: 07-05-20 07:01
Gareth, James, and Schuyler entered the Great Hall together and sat down at the Gryffindor table. Gareth helped himself to several strips of bacon and then passed the plate to James. He then accepted a plate of crepes from Schuyler, took one, and then passed on the plate. Gareth spread chocolate hazelnut butter onto the plain crepe, added banana slices, and then rolled the crepe into a loose pocket.
"Just two more left and we're free," James commented.
"Herbology and History of Magic," Schuyler added.
"I think it's a bit cruel to end our week of finals with History of Magic," Gareth said. "So. Much. Writing."
James and Schuyler concurred with the sentiment. Gareth yawned and subconsciously rubbed his writing hand. All week long, he'd had finals. Today was the very last day before term officially ended tomorrow evening with the End of Term Feast. Gareth was very much looking forward to summer.
None of the three needed to ride the Hogwarts Express home on Sunday, since they all lived in Hogsmeade. Gareth and Gerry for sure weren't getting on the train, but he wasn't sure what James and Schuyler had decided. Sometimes they rode just to spend more time with friends. The only reason Gareth might consider it is to hang out with Eileen, but he was more tempted to ask if she could just walk with him to his house and spend all of Sunday with him before she flooed home herself. He hadn't actually asked her yet, but he was thinking about it.
He ate his bacon and chocolately banana crepe quickly and washed it down with a chilled glass of pumpkin juice. As if she knew she was on his mind, Eileen appeared in the Great Hall and started to make her way to the Ravenclaw table.
Gareth told his roommates, "See you in the greenhouse," and rose to cross over to the Ravenclaw table, but James gestured to the side of his own mouth and said, "You've got a little something right there."
Gareth wiped the chocolate off his face with a napkin and then walked over to Eileen while James and Schuyler made kissing noises to his back.
"Good morning," Gareth greeted, sitting down next to Eileen.
"Good morning," Eileen said with a smile.
"Ready for the last day of exams?" Gareth asked. Since Ravenclaws were in the same Herbology and History of Magic classes at the Gryffindors were, he thought that her exams might be reversed today.
"I hope so," Eileen replied, "though I don't know whose great idea it was to put History of Magic first thing in the morning. I'm hardly awake as it is!"
Gareth smiled in understanding and decided to just go for it. "Do you think your parents will let you come over to my house on Sunday instead of riding the Hogwarts Express home?"
(Cecily) Sour Mood
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 07-05-20 07:03
Cecily was having breakfast at the Great Hall with Miranda. Later they would have their last exam, Fitness & Athletics. Lisa passed by the Gryffindor table and when she met her cousin she gesticulated and told Cecily not to forget.
"Not forget what?" Miranda asked.
"She wants to take all her editions of Teen Witch magazine home and she doesn't want to stuff them among her robes. We agreed we will meet by the Common Commons latter so she can give me some of her clothing to put on my own trunk."
"Why doesn't she use an extension charm?"
"She fears the magazines might get all crumbled. They come with some posters of some famous boys band members she likes," Cecily explained.
Then she let go a profound sight. Once again she would have to spend part of her summer with Lisa and her parents. She didn't have anything against her uncle and aunt but she couldn't bear the thought of sharing a bedroom with Lisa again. They had nothing in common and the age gap between the two only made things worse. Maybe if Lisa was a Gryffindor like her, they might get along better.
"Do not despair," Miranda told her. "Cousins are not so bad."
"That's because you have cool cousins. Lisa is just...just...too much of a Ravenclaw! I can't stand her."
Cecily shoved a spoon with milk and cornflakes into her mouth. As she chewed she knew her frustrations were not aimed at Lisa but Wren. She wanted to spend the entire summer with him and Parsifal at home. But Wren seemed to think she and their younger brother would have more fun spending some time with Lisa and her parents. She wanted to go back to the Pole property, meet the Thestrals, and just have her own bedroom. Her cousin's bedroom was filled with posters and she had a hard time falling asleep with so many famous wizards staring at her and winking and smiling, once they were aware she was staring right at them.
When Wren wrote to her announcing he was not going to pick her up at Platform 9 and 3/4, and that she would go directly with Lisa to her parents' house she was a little bit hurt. Wren then would pass on their house later that night to drop off Parsifal and have dinner with them. She had been looking forward to spend some time with just Wren and Parsifal, share with them in person what it had been like to win the Quidditch Cup for her house, and tell them about her friends. But that would not be possible, at least not so soon. Lisa had been at Hogwarts too and she would not want to have her cousin brag about Gryffindor's victory, when Ravenclaw had not even attended the Championship Match. Lisa did not care about Quidditch, but most likely she wouldn't let Cecily talk about during dinner. The only thing that might interest Lisa would be the Sweethearts Dance, but that was something Cecily did not want to talk about. She knew Lisa would most likely make a not so friendly comment about Franklin Ellis. He had no resemblance to any of her pop idols and she couldn't understand why her cousin went to the dance with him. Cecily just hoped Wren wouldn't listen to Lisa when she started talking about Franklin.
She continued to eat her breakfast in a sour mood, but feeling grateful when Miranda tried to cheer her up with a joke.